View source for Kal Penn

{{Short description|American actor and civil servant (born 1977)}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{infobox officeholder
| name                = Kal Penn
| image               = Kal Penn at the 2025 Jaipur Literature Festival 01 (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Penn in 2025
| birth_name          = Kalpen Suresh Modi
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1977|4|23}}
| birth_place         = [[Montclair, New Jersey]], U.S.
| education           = [[University of California, Los Angeles]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| occupation          = {{hlist|Actor|author|former civil servant}}
| years_active        = 
| partner             = Josh (2010–present; engaged)
| office              = [[White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs|Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement]]
| deputy              = 
| president           = [[Barack Obama]]
| president1          = [[Barack Obama]]
| termend             = July 30, 2011
| termstart           = November 15, 2010
| term_start1         = April 7, 2009
| term_end1           = June 1, 2010
}}

'''Kalpen Suresh Modi''' ({{langx|gu|કલ્પેન સુરેશ મોદી}}; born April 23, 1977), known professionally as '''Kal Penn''', is an American actor, author, and former [[White House]] staff member in the [[Barack Obama]] [[Presidency of Barack Obama|administration]]. 

As an actor he is known for his portrayals of [[Kumar Patel (character)|Kumar Patel]] in the ''[[Harold & Kumar]]'' film series, [[Lawrence Kutner (House)|Lawrence Kutner]] on the television program ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'', White House staffer Seth Wright on ''[[Designated Survivor (TV Series)|Designated Survivor]]'', and Kevin, a psychologist and boyfriend to Robin in ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]''. He is also recognized for his performance in the film ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]''. Penn once taught at the [[University of Pennsylvania]] in the Cinema Studies Program as a visiting lecturer.

In April 2009, Penn joined the [[Administration of Barack Obama|Obama administration]] as an associate director in the [[White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs|White House Office of Public Engagement]] as liaison for outreach to [[Asian Pacific Americans]] and arts communities.<ref name="IndiansDemocratic">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-19473368 | title=Why do Indian-Americans flock to the Democratic Party? | date=September 6, 2012 | access-date=May 24, 2015| work=[[BBC News]] }}</ref><ref name=EW>{{cite magazine|last=Ausiello|first=Michael|date=April 7, 2009|url=http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/house-exclusive.html|title='House' exclusive: The shocking story behind last night's big death|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408055229/http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/house-exclusive.html|access-date=April 7, 2009|archive-date=April 8, 2009}}</ref> This necessitated that his TV character, Lawrence Kutner, be written out of ''House''.<ref name=EW/><ref name="movies.rediff.com">{{cite web|url=http://movies.rediff.com/look/2009/apr/07/kal-penn-to-join-politics.htm|title=It'll be the White House for Kal Penn now|website=[[Rediff.com]]|date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> Penn briefly left his post in June 2010 to film the third installment of the ''Harold & Kumar'' series, ''[[A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas]]'',<ref name="The Washington Post">{{cite news|title=Kalpen Modi, aka Kal Penn, aka Kumar, leaves the White House, returns to showbiz |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2010/06/rs-_kal_penn.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526092333/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2010/06/rs-_kal_penn.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 26, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=June 23, 2010|first1=Roxanne |last1=Roberts|first2=Amy |last2=Argetsinger |date=June 22, 2010}}</ref> returning to his White House job upon the film's completion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/11/kal-penn-kalpen-modi-white-house-harold-and-kumar.html |title=Kalpen Modi Returns To White House Job After Leaving To Film 'Harold & Kumar' Sequel |work=The Note blog |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=November 15, 2010 |access-date=November 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512010039/http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/11/kal-penn-kalpen-modi-white-house-harold-and-kumar.html |archive-date=May 12, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In July 2011, he again left the White House to accept a role in the television series ''How I Met Your Mother.''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/click/2011/07/kal-penn-to-leave-white-house-again-037463 |title=Kal Penn to leave White House again|work=Click blog|publisher=[[Politico]] |date=July 14, 2011 |access-date=June 14, 2013}}</ref>

From 2016 to 2019, he played Seth Wright in the political drama ''[[Designated Survivor (TV series)|Designated Survivor]]'', where he also worked as a consultant on the show.<ref name="Deadline Hollywood">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/02/kal-penn-maggie-q-natascha-mcelhone-italia-ricci-cast-designated-survivor-abc-1201696876/|title='Designated Survivor' Casts Kal Penn, Maggie Q, Natascha McElhone, Italia Ricci|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|date=February 5, 2016 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]}}</ref> He also hosted the game show ''[[Superhuman (game show)|Superhuman]]''. In 2019, Penn portrayed Garrett Modi in the [[NBC]] sitcom series ''[[Sunnyside (American TV series)|Sunnyside]]''. The following year, he hosted a political talk miniseries on [[Freeform (TV channel)|Freeform]], ''[[Kal Penn Approves This Message]]''.

==Early life and education==
Penn was born as Kalpen Suresh Modi in [[Montclair, New Jersey]] on April 23, 1977, to [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] immigrant parents from [[Gujarat]], [[India]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Chhabra|first=Aseem|date=April 22, 2005|url=http://in.rediff.com/movies/2005/apr/22kal.htm|title=Kal Penn: Hollywood's Desi No1!|website=[[Rediff.com]]|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bell |first=Debra |date=April 8, 2009 |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Kal Penn |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/obama/articles/2009/04/08/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-kal-penn |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |location=Washington, DC}}</ref> His mother, Asmita Bhatt, is a [[fragrance]] evaluator for a perfume company, and his father, Suresh Modi, ({{langx|gu|સુરેશ મોદી}}) is an [[engineer]]. His father is from [[Kheda]] and his mother was born in [[Vadodara]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Chivukula|first=Som |title=Article: Kal Penn's do's and don'ts |publisher=India Abroad |via=[[HighBeam]] |date=April 12, 2002 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79283670.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106055107/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79283670.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |access-date=April 2, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Yuan-Kwan |last=Chan |url=http://www.meniscuszine.com/issue24/asianam-arts-alliance-20081001 |title=Happy Birthday, Asian American Arts Alliance |publisher=Meniscuszine.com |date=October 16, 2007 |access-date=February 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320154612/http://www.meniscuszine.com/issue24/asianam-arts-alliance-20081001/ |archive-date=March 20, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=fldr144>Stated on ''[[Finding Your Roots]]'', January 29, 2019, [[PBS]]</ref> Kal Penn regularly visited [[Gujarat]] as a child during vacations, and he can speak some Gujarati as well as some Hindi.<ref name="toi">{{cite news|last=Mishra|first=Abhimanyu|date=January 13, 2017|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/gujarati/movies/news/Kal-Penn-I-fondly-remember-my-visits-to-Gujarat-as-a-kid/articleshow/45451953.cms|title=I remember my visits to Gujarat as a kid: Kal Penn|newspaper=The Times of India}}</ref> He has stated that stories of his grandparents marching with [[Mahatma Gandhi]] during the [[Indian independence movement]] were a significant influence on his interest in politics.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.lcnd.org.uk/about/lohana-history/|title=LOHANA HISTORY|publisher=LCND|work=Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Lohana Community|access-date=February 28, 2011|archive-date=May 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531194056/http://www.lcnd.org.uk/about/lohana-history//|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Kal Penn attended [[Marlboro Township Public School District|Marlboro Middle School]] in [[Marlboro Township, New Jersey]], where he played [[baritone saxophone]] in the jazz band. For high school he attended [[Freehold Township High School]] for all four years where he was enrolled in the [https://sites.google.com/frhsd.com/gsopenhouse/home International Studies Program] the first two years. His Junior and Senior years he attended [https://sites.google.com/frhsd.com/fpacopenhouse/home The Fine and Performing Arts Center] (a [[Magnet school|magnet program]]) at [[Howell High School (New Jersey)|Howell High School]] in the Acting program (FPAC is a part time program, so he was bused between schools). Both schools are part of the [[Freehold Regional High School District]] in [[New Jersey]]. He was active in the schools' theater productions and competed on the Freehold Township National Honor Society Speech and Debate team (formerly known as Forensics). He then attended [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]], where he [[Double degree|double majored]] in film and [[sociology]], graduating with a B.A. in 2000.<ref name=UPenn/>

==Career==

===Acting career===
Penn's film debut came in 1998 in ''[[Express: Aisle to Glory]]''. He has since appeared in ''[[American Desi]]'', ''[[Van Wilder]]'', the final episode of ''[[The Lonely Island]]'',  ''[[Malibu's Most Wanted]]'', ''[[A Lot Like Love]]'', ''[[Dude, Where's the Party?]]'', ''[[Love Don't Cost a Thing (film)|Love Don't Cost a Thing]]'', ''[[Superman Returns]]'', ''[[Epic Movie]]'', ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]'', the ''[[Harold & Kumar]]'' series, ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', ''[[Angel (1999 TV series)|Angel]]'' and an uncredited appearance in ''[[Deck the Halls (2006 film)|Deck the Halls]]''.

Penn says that he derived his acting name, Kal Penn, as a lark: "Almost as a joke to prove friends wrong, and half as an attempt to see if what I was told would work (that anglicized names appeal more to a white-dominated industry), I put 'Kal Penn' on my resume and photos." His audition callbacks rose by 50 percent. He has stated that he prefers his birth name and uses "Kal Penn" only for professional purposes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://niralimagazine.com/2004/09/kal-penn-goes-to-hollywood/ |title=Kal Penn Goes to Hollywood |publisher=Nirali Magazine |date=April 2008 |access-date=October 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402101327/http://niralimagazine.com/2004/09/kal-penn-goes-to-hollywood/ |archive-date=April 2, 2012}}</ref> 

In January 2007, Penn appeared in the first four episodes of the sixth season of ''[[24 (TV series)|24]]'' as Ahmed Amar, a teenage [[terrorist]]. Penn says he nearly turned down the role due to personal ethics:

<blockquote>I have a huge political problem with the role. It was essentially accepting a form of [[racial profiling]]. I think it's repulsive. But it was the first time I had a chance to blow stuff up and take a family hostage. As an actor, why shouldn't I have that opportunity? Because I'm brown and I should be scared about the connection between media images and people's thought processes?<ref>{{cite web|last=Yuan|first=Jada|date=2007-03-04|url=https://nymag.com/movies/profiles/28866/|title=The White-Castle Ceiling|website=New York magazine|access-date=2009-04-07}}</ref></blockquote>

Also in January 2007, he appeared in the spoof comedy ''[[Epic Movie]]'' as well as the television show ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]''. In May 2007, Penn received the [[Asian Excellence Award]] for Outstanding Actor for his performance in ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.azntv.com/axawards/night_of_excellence/winners.aspx |title=Asian Excellence Awards – Winners (archive) |publisher=azntv.com |date=May 2007 |access-date=February 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213091619/http://www.azntv.com/axawards/night_of_excellence/winners.aspx |archive-date=February 13, 2008}}</ref> In fall 2007, Penn joined the cast of the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] medical drama ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' as a fellowship applicant.<ref name="cnnhouse">{{cite news | title='House' gets a new group of trainees | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/18/television.house.reut/index.html | access-date=July 18, 2007 |work=[[CNN]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070816030430/http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/18/television.house.reut/index.html |archive-date = August 16, 2007}}</ref> 

''[[E!]]'' reported that Penn had signed on as a regular on the show along with [[Olivia Wilde]] and [[Peter Jacobson]] and this was confirmed in the plot of the episode "[[Games (House episode)|Games]]". Penn continued with the series through to the episode "[[Simple Explanation]]", which aired April 6, 2009. He made an additional appearance as [[Lawrence Kutner (House)|Lawrence Kutner]] on the fifth-season finale, "[[Both Sides Now (House)|Both Sides Now]]", that aired on May 11, 2009. However, due to his new job at the White House, Penn could not be present for the filming of this episode. The clip of him saying "Too bad it isn't true" was taken from a previous filming. Penn returned to the show for the series finale.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/03/22/house-finale-kal-penn/|title='House' finale scoop: Kal Penn in talks to return|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|last=Hibberd|first=James|date=March 22, 2012|access-date=March 22, 2012}}</ref>

In addition to his role on the TV series ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'', he is best known for his role in ''[[Harold & Kumar]]'', as Kumar Patel, a pothead who goes with Harold Lee ([[John Cho]]) to [[White Castle (restaurant)|White Castle]] for hamburgers. Unlike his character, he does not smoke [[marijuana]], saying it is not for him, nor does he eat meat.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theinsider.com/news/839717_KAL_PENN_DOES_NOT_SMOKE_MARIJUANA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714053312/http://www.theinsider.com/news/839717_KAL_PENN_DOES_NOT_SMOKE_MARIJUANA |agency=showbiznews.info |archive-date=July 14, 2008 |title=Kal Penn Does Not Smoke Marijuana |date=April 26, 2008 |work=[[The Insider (TV series)|The Insider]] |access-date=May 4, 2010}}</ref>

Penn had a recurring role on ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' for the seventh season of the show,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.facebook.com/HowIMetYourMotherCBS/posts/252662248082978  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/7807422276/252662248082978 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |url-access=limited|title=THIS JUST IN: Kal Penn joining How I Met Your Mother |work=[[How I Met Your Mother]] |publisher=CBS official Facebook page |date=July 13, 2011 |access-date=July 14, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>  in which he played Kevin, a therapist and later boyfriend of [[Robin Scherbatsky]]. <!-- Moved to TALK: In 2012, Penn narrated a [[television commercial]] for [[Amazon.com|Amazon]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbcwsSZCKuI "We're the People with the Smile on the Box"] (Amazon TV Commercial).  Amazon.com Kindle YouTube channel. Retrieved November 13, 2012.</ref>--> Starting May 1, 2013, Penn hosted ''Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius'' on the [[Discovery Channel]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/the-big-brain-theory/judges/kal-penn.htm |title=Kal Penn, host of the Discovery Channel's The Big Brain Theory : Discovery Channel |publisher=Discovery.com |date=March 13, 2013 |access-date=May 6, 2013}}</ref> In 2013, Penn joined the cast of ''[[We Are Men]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tvline.com/2013/05/10/cbs-new-series-fall-2013-tv-shows-crazy-ones/ |first=Michael |last=Ausiello |title=Fall TV Scoop: CBS Picks Up 8 Series, Including Sarah Michelle Gellar's Crazy Comedy, Josh Holloway's Intelligence and Chuck Lorre's Mom |work=Fall TV Scoop |publisher=TVline.com |date=May 10, 2013 |access-date=June 7, 2013}}</ref>

In 2014, he was cast in Ravi Kumar's film ''[[Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain]]'', a film about the [[Bhopal gas tragedy]], considered by many to be the world's worst industrial disaster. Penn played Detective Fontanelle White<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hitfix.com/the-fien-print/interview-battle-creek-star-kal-penn-on-house-reunions-and-pot-differentiation |title=Interview: Interview: 'Battle Creek' star Kal Penn on 'House' reunions and pot differentiation |work=[[HitFix]] |date=February 27, 2015 |access-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref> on the CBS comedy-drama [[Battle Creek (TV series)|''Battle Creek'']], which was canceled during its first season.

In October 2016, Penn began a regular role in the ABC drama series ''[[Designated Survivor (TV series)|Designated Survivor]]'' as Seth Wright, a White House speech writer who originally worked under the previous president's administration. Following the death of the [[White House Press Secretary]] in the pilot episode and the acting press secretary walking out on the job, his character gets promoted to Press Secretary.<ref name="Deadline Hollywood"/> Penn also served as a political consultant for the series. The show was renewed by [[Netflix]] for a third season which was released on June 7, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/designated-survivor-anthony-edwards-julie-white-cast-in-season-3-on-netflix-1202485492/|title='Designated Survivor': Anthony Edwards & Julie White Cast In Season 3 On Netflix|last2=Petski|first2=Denise|last1=Nellie|first1=Andreeva|date=October 18, 2018|work=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|access-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref>

Penn has expressed some interest in working in [[Indian cinema]], particularly in [[Gujarati cinema]].<ref name=toi />

On March 7, 2019, Penn was cast in the main role of Garrett Modi on the [[NBC]] comedy ''[[Sunnyside (American TV series)|Sunnyside]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/nbc-assembles-cast-mostly-immigrant-actors-kal-penn-comedy-pilot-sunnyside-1202571657/|title=NBC Assembles Cast Of Mostly Immigrant Actors For Kal Penn Pilot 'Sunnyside'|first1=Nellie|last1=Andreeva|date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> and the series was ordered on May 6, 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/bluff-city-law-jimmy-smits-kal-penn-comedy-sunnyside-picked-up-series-nbc-1202608537/|title=Drama 'Bluff City Law' Starring Jimmy Smits & Kal Penn Comedy 'Sunnyside' Picked Up To Series By NBC|first1=Nellie|last1=Andreeva|newspaper=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|date=May 7, 2019}}</ref> The show was cancelled after eight episodes were produced.

On May 9, 2020, Penn was cast as a lead on the 2021 [[CBS]] thriller drama series ''[[Clarice (TV series)|Clarice]],'' a sequel to ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/clarice-kal-penn-cast-speaks-cbs-silence-of-the-lambs-sequel-seriesnick-sandow-and-michael-cudlitz-1202930430/|title='Clarice': Kal Penn Speaks Of "Thoughtful Thriller" CBS Series As He Joins 'Silence Of the Lambs' Sequel|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=May 9, 2020|access-date=May 10, 2020}}</ref>

On December 2, 2021, Penn was set to produce and star in the biopic ''Superfan'' which depicts the story of [[Nav Bhatia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/12/kal-penn-to-produce-star-in-nav-bhatia-biopic-superfan-from-stampede-ventures-1234883852/|title=Kal Penn To Produce & Star In Nav Bhatia Biopic 'Superfan' From Stampede Ventures|last=Grobar|first=Matt|date=December 2, 2021|website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]}}</ref>

In 2022, he was cast as Simon Choksi/Santa on ''[[The Santa Clauses]]'', for which he received a nominations for the [[Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance|Outstanding Supporting Performance]] at the [[2nd Children's and Family Emmy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Children's & Family Emmy Awards: Disney Dominates Nominations|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/childrens-family-emmy-awards-nominations-2023-1235635652/|access-date=November 7, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|first=Tyler|last=Coates|date=November 2, 2023 }}</ref>

In 2023, Penn guest starred in the Netflix animated series ''[[Scott Pilgrim Takes Off]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Abbey |date=2023-11-18 |title='Scott Pilgrim Takes Off': Meet the Anime's Complete Voice Cast |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/scott-pilgrim-takes-off-cast-voice-actors/ |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Political activities===
[[File:Kal Penn at UMD 2008.JPG|thumb|right|Kal Penn speaking at a rally for President Barack Obama at the [[University of Maryland]]'s Nyumburu Cultural Center|alt=A man giving a speech. He wears a white shirt with a dark label pin. In front of him, there are two microphones.]]

Penn was an advocate for [[Barack Obama]]'s [[Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|presidential campaign]] in 2007 and 2008 and a member of Obama's National Arts Policy Committee.<ref>{{cite web|last=Penn|first=Kal|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/kal-penn/open-letter-to-two-undecl_b_101229.html|title=Open Letter to Two Undeclared College Superdelegates|website=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=May 11, 2008|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> He appears in the [[Barack Obama]]-supporting video "[[Sí Se Puede Cambiar]]" by [[Andres Useche]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Joshi|first=Monika|date=February 4, 2008|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/feb/04obama.htm|title=Actor Kal Penn roots for Obama|website=[[Rediff.com]]|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> and appeared with comedian [[George Lopez]] on January 18, 2009, at "[[We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial]]".

In early 2009, Penn was offered the position of Associate Director of the [[White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs]], which he accepted. This necessitated his character Lawrence Kutner being written out of the TV series ''House''.<ref name=EW/><ref name="movies.rediff.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/Kal-Penn-House-1004799.aspx |title=Kal Penn Leaves House for the White House |publisher=Tvguide.com |date=April 7, 2009 |access-date=February 28, 2011}}</ref> In his new role with the Obama administration, Penn served as a liaison with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090407/ap_on_go_pr_wh/people_kal_penn |title='House' actor Kal Penn joins White House team |agency=[[Associated Press|AP News]] |publisher=[[Yahoo! News]] |date=April 7, 2009 |access-date=June 14, 2013}}</ref> He went back to using his birth name, Kalpen Modi.<ref>{{cite web|last=Choudhury|first=Uttara|date=July 8, 2009|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_you-can-call-me-kalpen-modi_1272099|title=You can call me Kalpen Modi|website=DNA (Daily News & Analysis)|access-date=August 18, 2009}}</ref>

Having made a commitment before his employment at the White House, Penn left his post as Obama's associate director of public engagement on June 1, 2010, to return to his acting career.<ref name="The Washington Post"/> He returned to office on November 15, 2010, following completion of ''[[A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/11/kal-penn-kalpen-modi-white-house-harold-and-kumar.html |title=Kalpen Modi Returns To White House Job After Leaving To Film 'Harold & Kumar' Sequel |publisher=Blogs.abcnews.com |date=November 15, 2010 |access-date=February 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512010039/http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/11/kal-penn-kalpen-modi-white-house-harold-and-kumar.html |archive-date=May 12, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Penn was a co-chair of Obama's [[Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012|reelection campaign]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/02/obama-campaign-announces-cochairs-115161.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908205100/http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/02/obama-campaign-announces-cochairs-115161.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 8, 2012 |title=Obama campaign announces co-chairs |publisher=[[Politico]]|date=February 22, 2012 |access-date=May 6, 2013}}</ref> On September 3, 2012, he hosted coverage of the [[2012 Democratic National Convention]] in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7O_ADbgQ8k  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/h7O_ADbgQ8k |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Watch the 2012 Democratic National Convention Live on BarackObama.com |publisher=BarackObama.com YouTube channel |date=September 3, 2012 |access-date=May 6, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Penn's speech at the convention encouraged young people to register to vote and defended Obama's record.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/kal-penn-speech-_n_1856255.html |title=Kal Penn Speech At Democratic Convention: My Four-Letter Word Is 'Vote' |first=Nick |last=Wing |publisher=[[HuffPost]] |date=September 4, 2012 |access-date=September 8, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4GYC1O3CKI  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/D4GYC1O3CKI |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Kal Penn's DNC Speech |publisher=The Daily Conversation's YouTube Channel |date=September 4, 2012 |access-date=May 6, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On November 18, 2013, Obama appointed Penn to serve on the [[President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/190642-kal-penn-appointed-to-rejoin-obama-administration/|title=Kal Penn appointed to rejoin Obama team|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=March 5, 2015|date=November 18, 2013}}</ref> On February 28, 2014, Penn served as the Master of Ceremonies for the [[White House Student Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/students-are-stars-white-house-film-festival-n40846|title=Students Are Stars at White House Film Festival|work=[[NBC News]]|date=February 28, 2014 |access-date=March 5, 2015}}</ref>

Penn publicly supported [[Bernie Sanders]] for the [[Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016|2016 Democratic nomination]]. He campaigned for [[Hillary Clinton]] after she became the nominee.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Quirky caucuses pose organizational challenge for Sanders|url = http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-quirky-caucuses-pose-organizational-challenge-for-sanders-2016-1|website = Business Insider|access-date = February 10, 2016}}</ref>

In August 2017, Penn and the other members of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities resigned in protest of President [[Donald Trump]]'s [[Unite the Right rally#President Trump's response|remarks about the Unite the Right rally]] in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]].<ref name="wapo-18aug2017">{{cite news|last1=O'Keefe|first1=Ed|title=Members of White House presidential arts commission resigning to protest Trump's comments|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/08/18/members-of-white-house-presidential-arts-commission-resign-to-protest-trumps-comments/|access-date=August 18, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 18, 2017}}</ref>

During the [[2020 Democratic presidential primaries]], Penn expressed interest in the messages of [[Pete Buttigieg]], [[Bernie Sanders]], and [[Elizabeth Warren]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiawest.com/entertainment/global/exclusive-interview-with-indian-american-actor-kal-penn-feel-good/article_5210ddc8-163b-11ea-9c48-836ece2666f8.html|title=Feel good comedy brings people together|first=Nimmi|last=Raghunathan|publisher=India West|date=December 4, 2019|access-date=December 15, 2019|archive-date=December 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215131634/https://www.indiawest.com/entertainment/global/exclusive-interview-with-indian-american-actor-kal-penn-feel-good/article_5210ddc8-163b-11ea-9c48-836ece2666f8.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He later expressed support for [[Joe Biden]] after he became the nominee. Penn also supported the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]] [[Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign|campaign]] of Democratic presidential candidate [[Kamala Harris]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kamala For Nevada |date=2024-10-04 |title=Welcome to Nevada, @Kalpenn and @JohnTheCho! |url=https://twitter.com/KamalaForNevada/status/1842245850426462717}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=.@Kalpenn and @JohnTheCho are your favorite millennial's favorite millennial! |url=https://twitter.com/KamalaForNevada/status/1844168741107662915 |access-date=2024-10-09}}</ref>

During the [[2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary]], Penn appeared at rallies for candidate [[Zohran Mamdani]], whose mother [[Mira Nair]] directed Penn in ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]''.<ref name=CNN>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/25/politics/mamdani-nyc-election-night-supporters|title=Mamdani’s election night coalition: A party with Kal Penn, Ella Emhoff, hundreds of passionate and sweaty supporters|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250625154657/https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/25/politics/mamdani-nyc-election-night-supporters|archive-date=June 25, 2025|website=[[CNN]]|date=June 25, 2025|access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref> Penn later appeared alongside Nair and Mamdani in posts celebrating [[Diwali]] during the lead-up to the [[2025 New York mayoral election]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Last night I visited four temples across Queens to celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights, ending at Maharaja Sweets in Jackson Heights, where we gave out six kinds of delicious treats alongside some very special guests. Happy Diwali, NYC! |last=Zohran Kwame Mamdani |date=2025-10-21 |url=https://x.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1980606660528804219}}</ref>

===Other ventures===
In 2008, Penn served as a visiting lecturer in Asian American Studies at the [[University of Pennsylvania]].<ref name=UPenn>{{cite web|url=http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/article.php?id=1127|title=Actor Kal Penn to Teach at the University of Pennsylvania|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810121047/http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/article.php?id=1127|archive-date=August 10, 2007|website=[[University of Pennsylvania]] Office of University Communications|date=March 26, 2007|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|last=Schwedel|first=Heather|date=March 26, 2007|url=http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/03/26/News/Kal-Penn.To.Teach.At.Penn.In.Spring.08-2791353.shtml|title=Kal Penn to teach at Penn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114033352/http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/03/26/News/Kal-Penn.To.Teach.At.Penn.In.Spring.08-2791353.shtml|archive-date=November 14, 2007|newspaper=[[The Daily Pennsylvanian]]|access-date=April 7, 2009}}
</ref> His course was titled "Images of Asian Americans in the Media".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://asam.sas.upenn.edu |title=Asian American Studies Program at University of Pennsylvania |publisher=Asam.sas.upenn.edu |access-date=February 28, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Huffington Post">{{cite web|last=Penn|first=Kal|date=July 2, 2010|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/kal-penn/the-hilarious-xenophobia_b_634264.html|title=The 'Hilarious' Xenophobia of Time's Joel Stein|website=[[HuffPost]]}}</ref>

In 2014, Penn was working on a graduate certificate in [[international security]] from [[Stanford University]].<ref name=EW/><ref name=UPenn/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/30854/ |title=Kal Penn to Address Class of 2014 at May's 175th Annual Commencement |work=DePauw University |access-date=March 5, 2015 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143540/http://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/30854/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://alumni.ucla.edu/share/ucla-awards/bio/kal-penn.aspx|title=Kal Penn '00|website=UCLA Alumni}}</ref>

On January 2, 2017, Penn won the "MasterChef Celebrity Showdown" and donated the $25,000 cash prize to [[UNRWA]], a United Nations relief and human development agency that supports [[Palestinian refugees]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/kal-penn-wins-%E2%80%98masterchef-celebrity-showdown%E2%80%99-prize-money-support |title=Kal Penn Wins 'MasterChef Celebrity Showdown', Prize Money to Support Palestinian Refugees through the UN |access-date=March 14, 2018 |work=unrwa.org |publisher=United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East |date=January 3, 2017}}</ref> On January 28, 2017, following a racist comment from a user on Penn's [[Twitter]] feed, Penn crowd-funded a fundraiser for [[refugees of the Syrian Civil War]] and raised $813,533.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://ew.com/news/2017/01/29/kal-penn-refugee-donations/|title=Kal Penn Raises Over $360,000 for Refugees in Response to Racist Tweet|date=January 29, 2017|newspaper=EW.com|language=en-US|access-date=January 30, 2017}}</ref> This occurred during President [[Donald Trump]]'s [[Executive Order 13769]], which banned immigration to the United States from [[Syria]], [[Yemen]], [[Sudan]], [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Libya]], and [[Somalia]] regardless of [[travel visa|visa]] status.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/trump-bans-citizens-from-7-muslim-nations-and-all-refugees.html|title=Judge Blocks Part of Trump's Ban on Citizens From 7 Muslim Nations and Refugees|last=Danner|first=Chas|newspaper=[[New York (magazine)|New York Intelligencer]]|language=en|access-date=January 30, 2017}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Penn is Hindu.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groundreport.in/5-hollywood-celebrities-who-changed-their-religion-to-become-hindus/#:~:text=Kal%20Penn%20was%20born%20in,'%20and%20'The%20Namesake'.|title=5 Hollywood Celebrities Who Changed Their Religion to Become Hindus|date=December 25, 2020|access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/kal-penn-harold-kumar-white-castle-bill-gates-backed-veggie-burger-2018-9?r=MX&IR=T|title='Harold and Kumar' actor Kal Penn shares why he backed the startup behind Silicon Valley's favorite 'bleeding' veggie burger, which is now at White Castle|date=September 18, 2018|work=[[Business Insider]]|first=Erin|last=Bordwin|accessdate=May 19, 2021}}</ref> 

In October 2021, while promoting his memoir, ''You Can't Be Serious,'' Penn announced that he and his boyfriend of 11 years, named Josh, were engaged.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Kal Penn Reveals He's Engaged to Fiancé Josh and Details Their First Date in New Book|date=October 31, 2021|url=https://people.com/books/kal-penn-engagement-to-fiance-josh-first-date-new-book-you-cant-be-serious/|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|first=Kara|last=Warner|access-date=October 31, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Williams|first=John|date=November 2, 2021|title='Maybe I Do Have a Story to Tell': Kal Penn on His Memoir|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/01/books/kal-penn-you-cant-be-serious-memoir-interview.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/01/books/kal-penn-you-cant-be-serious-memoir-interview.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited|access-date=November 2, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In regard to his [[sexual orientation]], Penn said that he had "discovered [his] own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people." However, he feels that "there's no timeline on this stuff. People figure their shit out at different times in their lives, so I'm glad I did when I did."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Megan|first=Johnson|date=October 31, 2021|title=Kal Penn is engaged to his partner of 11 years, Josh: 'I'm really excited to share our relationship'|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kal-penn-gay-engaged-partner-josh-185608900.html|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=[[Yahoo! News]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" |Notes
|-
| 1998 || ''[[Express: Aisle to Glory]]'' || Jackie Newton
|
|-
| 1999 || ''Freshman'' || Ajay
|
|-
| 2001 || ''[[American Desi]]'' || Ajay Pandya
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2002 || ''Hector'' || Kendal Cunningham
|
|-
| ''[[Van Wilder]]'' || Taj Mahal Badalandabad
|
|-
| ''Badger'' || Sanjay
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2003 || ''[[Cosmopolitan (film)|Cosmopolitan]]'' || Vandana's Fiancé
|
|-
| ''[[Love Don't Cost a Thing (film)|Love Don't Cost a Thing]]'' || Kenneth Warman
|
|-
| ''[[Malibu's Most Wanted]]'' || Hadji
|
|-
| ''[[Dude, Where's the Party?]]'' || Mohan "Mo" Bakshi
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2004 || ''[[Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle]]'' || [[Kumar Patel (character)|Kumar Patel]]
|
|-
| ''[[Ball & Chain]]'' || Bobby
|
|-
| ''[[Homeland Security (film)|Homeland Security]]'' || Harrison
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2005 || ''[[Dancing in Twilight]]'' || Sam
|
|-
| ''[[Son of the Mask]]'' || Jorge
|
|-
| ''[[A Lot like Love]]'' || Jeeter
|
|-
| ''[[Sueño (film)|Sueño]]'' || Raj
|
|-
| rowspan="6" | 2006 || ''[[Man About Town (2006 film)|Man About Town]]'' || Alan Fineberg
|
|-
| ''[[Bachelor Party Vegas]]'' || "Z-Bob"
|
|-
| ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]'' || Gogol / Nikhil Ganguli
|
|-
| ''[[Superman Returns]]'' || Stanford
|
|-
| ''[[Deck the Halls (2006 film)|Deck the Halls]]'' || Amit Sayid
|
|-
| ''[[Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj]]'' || Taj Mahal Badalandabad
|
|-
| 2007 || ''[[Epic Movie]]'' || Edward Pervertski
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2008 || ''[[Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay]]'' || rowspan="3" | Kumar Patel
|
|-
| ''Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam'' ||
|-
|2011
|''[[A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas|A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas]] ''
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2013 || ''Triumph: The Lowell Pomerantz Story'' 
|Jordan Tichenor||
|-
| ''[[Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain]]'' || Motwani
|
|-
| ''[[Dementamania]]'' || Christian Van Burden
|
|-
| 2014 || ''[[The Sisterhood of Night]]'' || Gordy Gambhir
|
|-
| 2015 || ''[[The Girl in the Photographs]]'' || Peter Hemmings
|
|-
| 2016 || ''[[Better Off Single]]'' || Brice
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2017 || ''[[Speech & Debate]]'' || James
|
|-
| ''[[Once Upon a Time in Venice]]'' || Rajeesh
|
|-
| ''[[The Layover (film)|The Layover]]'' || Anuj
| <ref>{{Cite web|title=The Layover Review|url=https://www.thatmomentin.com/layover-2017-review/|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=That Moment In|date=September 2, 2017|language=en-US|last1=Duprey|first1=David|archive-date=November 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101184505/https://www.thatmomentin.com/layover-2017-review/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 2018 || ''[[The Ashram (film)|The Ashram]]'' || Nitin
| <ref>{{Cite web|last1=McNary|first1=Dave|date=March 31, 2016|title=Melissa Leo, Kal Penn, Sam Keeley Starring in Fantasy-Thriller 'The Ashram'|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/melissa-leo-kal-penn-ashram-1201742947/|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| 2020
| ''The Girl in the Woods''
|
| <ref>{{Cite web|last1=White|first1=Peter|date=April 29, 2021|title='Girl In The Woods': Peacock Orders Supernatural Drama Based On Crypt TV IP, Krysten Ritter To Direct|url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/girl-in-the-woods-peacock-ya-supernatural-drama-crypt-tv-krysten-ritter-1234746193/|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2021
| ''[[Untitled Horror Movie]]''
| Mark
| <ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramos|first=Dino-Ray|date=June 30, 2020|title=Nick Simon Sets New Remotely-Filmed 'Untitled Horror Movie' Starring Luke Baines, Claire Holt, Darren Barnet, Emmy Raver-Lampman And Kal Penn|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/nick-simon-untitled-horror-movie-luke-baines-claire-holt-darren-barnet-emmy-raver-lampman-kal-penn-1202974070/|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| ''Hot Mess Holiday'' 
| himself
| Executive producer<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 11, 2019|title=POPxo Exclusive: Producer Melanie Chandra Talks About Her Show For Desi Women, Surina & Mel|url=https://www.popxo.com/article/in-conversation-with-melanie-chandra-of-surina-and-mel/|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=POPxo|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 2022
| ''[[Smile (2022 film)|Smile]]'' 
| Dr. Morgan Desai
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2024
| ''[[The Underdoggs]]'' 
| Ryan Kauffman
| 
|-
| ''[[The Imaginary (film)|The Imaginary]]'' 
| Jinzan
| Voice; English dub<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-06-06/hayley-atwell-levar-burton-kal-penn-star-in-english-dub-for-ponoc-the-imaginary-film/.211625|title=Hayley Atwell, LeVar Burton, Kal Penn Star in English Dub for Ponoc's The Imaginary Film|last=Loo|first=Egan|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=June 6, 2024|access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| {{TableTBA}}
| ''[[What the F*ck Is My Password]]''
| {{TBA}}
| Filming
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" |Notes
|-
|1997
|[[Boy Meets World]]
|Audience Member
|Episode: "Quiz Show"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1999 || ''Brookfield'' || Kumar Zimmerman ||TV movie
|-
| ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' || Hunt || Episode: "[[Beer Bad]]"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2000 || ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'' || Prajeeb || Episode: "You Can't Twin"
|-
| ''[[Spin City]]'' || Buddy || Episode: "The Spanish Prisoner"
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2001 || ''[[Angel (1999 TV series)|Angel]]'' || Fez Boy || Episode: "[[That Vision Thing]]"
|-
| ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'' || Narajan || Episode: "The Longer You Stay"
|-
| ''[[NYPD Blue]]'' || Solomon Al-Ramai<ref>{{Citation |title="NYPD Blue" Baby Love (TV Episode 2001) - IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0656236/characters/nm0671980 |access-date=2022-12-18}}</ref>|| Episode: "Baby Love"
|-
| ''[[The Agency (2001 TV series)|The Agency]]'' || Malek || Episode: "Rules of the Game"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2003 || ''[[All About the Andersons]]'' || Dinesh ||Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| ''[[Tru Calling]]'' || Steven || Episode: "Haunted"
|-
| ''[[The Lonely Island]]'' || Fred || Episode: "Regarding Ardy”
|-
| 2006 || ''The Danny Comden Project'' || Max ||TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2007 || ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]'' || Henry Chanoor ||Episode: "Outsider"
|-
| ''[[24 (TV series)|24]]'' || [[Minor characters in 24#Ahmed Amar|Ahmed Amar]] || 4 episodes
|-
| 2007–2009, 2012 ||''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' || [[Lawrence Kutner (House)|Dr. Lawrence Kutner]] || Main role (seasons 4–5); guest (season 8)
|-
| 2011–2014 ||''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' || Kevin || 10 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2013 || ''[[The Big Brain Theory]]'' || Host || 8 episodes
|-
| ''[[We Are Men]]'' || Gil Bartis || 7 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2015 || ''[[Battle Creek (TV series)|Battle Creek]]'' || Detective Fontanelle White || 11 episodes
|-
| ''[[The Big Picture with Kal Penn]]'' || Host || 12 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2016 || ''[[New Girl]]'' || Tripp || 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[Sanjay and Craig]]'' || Greg (Voice) || Episode: "JJ and Greg"
|-
| ''[[Deadbeat (TV series)|Deadbeat]]'' || Clyde || 13 episodes
|-
| 2016–2019 ||''[[Designated Survivor (TV series)|Designated Survivor]]'' || Seth Wright || Main role
|-
| 2016–2017 ||''[[Superhuman (game show)|Superhuman]]'' || Host ||
|-
| 2018–2021
| ''[[Fancy Nancy (TV series)|Fancy Nancy]]''
| Mr. Ravi Singh / Mr. Singh
| Voice, 3 episodes<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fancy Nancy|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/fancy-nancy/cast/1030294181/|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=TVGuide.com|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2019 || ''[[The Big Bang Theory (TV series)|The Big Bang Theory]]'' || Dr. Campbell || 3 episodes
|-
| ''This Giant Beast That Is the Global Economy'' || Host || 8 episodes
|-
| ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' || Himself || Episode: "[[SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout]]"
|-
| ''[[Sunnyside (American TV series)|Sunnyside]]'' || Garrett Modi || Main role<br />Also executive producer
|-
| rowspan="3" |2020
| ''[[It's Pony]]'' || Fred || Voice
|-
| ''[[Blue's Clues & You!]]'' || Himself || Episode: "Happy Birthday, Blue!"
|-
| ''[[Kal Penn Approves This Message]]'' || Host || 6 episodes
|-
| 2020–2021
| ''[[Mira, Royal Detective]]''
| Mikku
| Main role, voice
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2021 || ''[[Clarice (TV series)|Clarice]]'' || Shaan Tripathi || Main role, 10 episodes
|-
| ''PsBattles Live'' 
|
| 1 episode<ref>{{Cite web|last1=White|first1=Peter|date=October 18, 2021|title=Reddit Moves Into Originals With Event Series 'PhotoshopBattles Live' From Bunim/Murray|url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/reddit-originals-photoshopbattles-live-bunim-murray-productions-1234857587/|access-date=November 1, 2021|website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| 2021–present || ''Money Hungry'' || Himself || Host
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2022 || ''[[American Horror Story: NYC]]'' || Mac Marzara || Season 11
|-
| ''[[The Santa Clauses]]'' || Simon Choksi || Main role<ref name="VarietyPenn">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/santa-clause-series-disney-plus-kal-penn-1235195311/|title='Santa Clause' Series at Disney Plus Adds Kal Penn|date=March 3, 2022|accessdate=March 12, 2022|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|last=Maas|first=Jennifer}}</ref><ref name="Penn">{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=March 3, 2022|title=Kal Penn Joins 'The Santa Clause' Disney+ Limited Series
|url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/the-santa-clause-kal-penn-tim-allen-disney-plus-limited-series-1234969497/|access-date=March 3, 2022|website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |2023
|''[[The Daily Show]]''
|Guest Host
|8 Episodes (week of Mar. 13<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Daily Show Guest Host Lineup |url=https://www.cc.com/topic/the-daily-show-guest-hosts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127133615/https://www.cc.com/topic/the-daily-show-guest-hosts |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=Comedy Central |language=en}}</ref> and Dec. 11<ref>{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=2023-11-28 |title=Kal Penn, Charlamagne Tha God Return to 'Daily Show' Amid Search for New Host |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/kal-penn-charlamagne-tha-god-daily-show-comedy-central-1235810915/ |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>)
|-
|''[[Scott Pilgrim Takes Off]]''
|Lawyer
|Episode: "A League of Their Own"
|}

==See also==
* [[Indians in the New York City metropolitan area]]
* [[LGBT culture in New York City]]
* [[List of LGBT people from New York City]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons|Kal Penn}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* [https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ope/staff/Kalpen-Modi-archive Office of Public Engagement]
* {{Twitter}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|Film|United States|Television|LGBTQ}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penn, Kal}}
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